Line flow fan



8, 1933- E. ANDERSON 1,920,952

LINE, FLOW FAN Filed Jan. 2, 1931 /3 if FIG-1 I q INVENTOR 52144420 I.ANDERSON- BY Z y m, Z

ATTORNEY? Patented Aug. 8.1933

LINE FLOW FAN a t Edward L; Anderson, Grosse Ile, Mich;, assignor toAmerican Blower Corporation, Mich., a Corporation of Delaware Detroit, 7

Application January 2, 1931. I SerialESOGJl SQ I '9 Claims. ,(Cl.230-125) invention relates to line-flow fans.

It is the object of. my invention to provide a form of line-fiowjfan inwhich there is a guide.

fromthe wall of the passageway in'which the fan is located directed, toa point of neutral pressure I on the periphery of the fan.

It is a further object of my invention to prm v vide a fan in whichtheair passes throughthe fan,

transversely of its longitudinal axis; and thereby,

a fan can be utilized of any length, preferably of a length greater thanits diameter, so as to deliver a broad'stream of air..

It is a further object. to provide a fan with an adjustable screen overthe fan to vary the air pre re and at the same time to screen out anyten ncy for air once delivered to return, and to prevent any'returnairfrom impeding the flow" of air through the fan.

It is a further object to utilize such portion of the return airasmay bedesired in' a- -return air jet, which acts as a baiile to guide the airflowing through thefan and to'keep such air from enter ing .into'thatportion of the fan that is returning from the outlet to the inlet. 25

' Referringfto the drawing, through a typical 'fan'and delivery casing.

Figure 2 is a' top plan view thereof.

Referring: to the drawing in detail,1 and 2 in-, I a j i of the air fiowA. ByprOviding the guide members! and 5, by arrangingathe screen Qand bydicate the end walls of the casingQ-3'indicates the main side wall knownas the outer wall. This outer wall is provided with a pair of arcuateguide members 4 and 5 mounted on the inside of the wall 3 and extendingto the point 6, which is the neutral point on the periphery of theline-flow fan; that is, a point where there is no appreciable externalmovement of air exterior of the fan. The periphery '7 of the fan travelsclosely adjacent to this point.

The rear wall or inner wall of the fan consists of three portions: anarcuate inwardly extending guide portion 8; an arcuatescreen 9, which isparallel to and closely adjacent to the periphery '7 of the fan; and anangular discharge portion 10, which turns abruptly at an angle to thearcuate portion 9 and is substantially parallel to that portion 11 ofthe outer wall 3, to form a discharge opening 12. 13 indicates the inletopening.

Mounted on this arcuate portion 9 is an ad justable plate 14 adjusted bythe bolts 15. The further this plate 14 extends into the inletpassageway 13, the higher pressure will be secured. Of course, insteadof having an adjustable plate, this adjustment of pressure may bepermanently secured by positioning the part 8 and the part 9 inwardly toform a more acute angle with respect power. 7 ranged arcuatebladeslQbetween which the air.

Figure 1 is a section I to one another; but for the purpose ofillustration I have shown an adjustable plate. u

The line-flow fan itself consists of end members 16 mounted on the shaft1'7 suitably driven by a motor l 8-o r any other, sourceof motiveBetween the end members 16- are ar- In operation I have foundthat thearea; of substantial pressure and/or substantial air flow in the.direction of the arrows is as indicated in the areafprovided withfinedots. The air-enters the inlet 1 3, but is mainly drawn in from therighthand side of the area l3, flows through the fan parallel to theshaft 1'7 and to one side of the shaft 17, leaving anjarea -of reducedpressure in the area B. In the. area C indicated by cross marks, as theblade of the fan, such. as 19, passes the cutoff which-lies'between thewall 10 and thewall 9, the .air remaining in the blades is given areversal of flow towards the shaft as indicated by the cross marks.Thus, only a very small proportion of the air islgjivenareversal and noair re-enters from "the outlet proper;

. 'It isbbserved that th'earea A of the air .flows at the neutral point6 doesnot .eatend outxbeyo'nd the periphery 7 of the fan By careful testI have determinedl this are;

adjusting the position of the plate 14, I am enabled to regulate andguide the air flow and to regulate its pressure.

It will be understood that I desire to comprehend within my inventionsuch modifications as may be clearly embraced within the scope of myclaims and invention. 1

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is: i

1. In combination, a line-flow fan, means to encase said fan so arrangedas to guide air through one portion of said fan and means on said firstmeans to redirect a portion of said air substantially radially into thefan to form a bafile to prevent the guided air from returning into thatarea within the fan through which it has not yet passed.

2. In combination, a casing having an inlet and outlet opening, aline-flow fan, means of guiding said air through a portion of saidlineflow fan where it is under pressure, means for I the casing toprevent the outgoing air from rewhereby the outgoing air will beprevented and baffled from entering the area of the fan where the bladesare moved from the outlet opening let opening, said casing being soarranged as to redirect a jet of returned air from approximately the topof the outlet opening to the center of the fan whereby theoutgoing airwill be prevented and bailied'from entering the area of the fan' wherethe blades are moved from the outlet opening back to the inlet opening.

4. In combination, a casing having an inlet and an outlet opening, aline-flow fan interposed therebetween located closely adjacent one'wallof said casing where the bladesof the fan pass from the outlet to theinlet opening, means on the other wall of said casing proceedingffromthe inlet opening to the periphery of the fan to the neutral pointthereon and from said neutral point back to the casing adjacent theoutlet opening,

said casing being so arranged as to redirect a jet of returned'air fromapproximately the top of the outlet opening to the center of the fanwhereby the outgoing air will be prevented and baiiied 'from enteringthe area of. the fan where the bla'desare moved from the outlet openingback to the inlet opening, and a screen over the top of said fan betweenit and the inlet opening. 5.. In combination, a casing having an'inletand an outlet opening, a line-flow fan interposed therebetweenlocated'closely adjacent one wall of'said casing where the blades of thefan pass from the outlet to the inlet opening, means on the other wallof said casing proceeding from the" inlet openingto the periphery of thefan to the neutral point thereon and from said neutral point back to thecasing adjacent the outlet opening, said casing being so arranged as toredirect a' jet of returned air from approximately, the top of theoutlet opening to the center of the fan back to the inlet opening, and ascreen over-the top of said fan between it and the inletopening. saidscreen being adjustable.

6. In combination, a casing having a relatively large inlet opening anda relatively small outlet opening, a line-flow'i'an mounted thereineccentrically thereof, closely adjacent to one wall of the casing andthat portion of the fan where the blades thereof are returning from theoutlet opening "to the inlet opening, arcuate means extending from theother wall of said casing to the neutral point on the fan and ,from theneutral point back to the casing, and means for controlling the pressureof the air by screening the blades of the fan from the incoming air.

'7. In combination, a casing having a relatively large inlet opening anda relatively small outlet opening, a line-flow fan mounted thereineccentrically the'reof, closely adjacent to one wall of the casing andthat portion of the fan where the blades thereof are returning from theoutlet opening to the inlet opening, arcuate means extending from theother wall of said casing to the neutral point on the tan and from theneutral point back to the casing, and means for controlling the pressureof the air by screening the blades of the fan from the incoming air,said inlet and outlet openings being arranged at right angles to oneanother.

8. Ina 'method of handling 'air, introducing air into a casing ofprogressively decreasingdiameter, engaging the air by air moving meanswhich directs the air through the casing, re-

stricting the flow of air through the air moving means, creating an areaof air pressure, creating an area within the air moving means of reducedpressure and utilizing return air to form. baille between the area ofpressure of outgoing air and the area of reduced pressure. 7

9. In amethod of handling air through a lineflow fan, progressivelyconfining the air to an area within the fan from the inlet opening to a"neutral point on the periphery of the fan and from theneutr al point toan exit of the Ian, reintroducing'a portion of the air making its'exitfrom the fan into the fan, using re-entry air as a baffle between theoutgoing air impelled by the outgoing blades of the an fromfthe area ofreduced pressure where the returning blades 0! the fan are located.

' EDWARD L. ANDERSON.

